A Misunderstanding
by Panino
Summary: He was partly angry with her, partly embarrassed by her, and, in all honesty, partly pleased by her jealousy. But he wasn't about to admit to that.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Nodame Cantabile.**

**AN: This is for those who reviewed my first Nodame/Chiaki fic. And if you haven't read that one, you should. :P Cheers!  
**

* * *

**A Misunderstanding  
**

Nodame's mouth was overflowing with the food her roommate set before her: three golden-brown pancakes spackled with syrup and butter.

"What is this?! So good!" she squealed through mouthfuls.

Shinichi grimaced, watching her from across the table. "Pancakes. Chew with your mouth closed." He could hardly begin his own meal when she was eating like this.

She was quiet as she continued to inhale her breakfast. Shinichi was surprised she even tasted it at the rate she was eating. Seconds later, though, Nodame was slouched back in her chair, hands on her stomach.

"Mukya!"

"That good, huh?"

She nodded, smiling. Then, her eyes flashed, as if she just experienced an epiphany. "Senpai! Since we don't have any lessons, let's go out today."

He considered this notion for a moment. "Sure. I have to meet someone anyhow, if you want to come."

Nodame smiled and wiggled in her seat, excited.

He smiled back, then sighed. "Well, hurry up if you want to go out. You're not leaving this apartment looking like that."

"Like what?" She looked at her attire -- Hello Kitty pajama bottoms, and an overly-worn Puri Puri Gorota t-shirt. On top of that, her hair showed signs of not being washed in days.

Did Shinichi need to explain? "You look like a bum," was all he ended up telling her.

"Gyabo," she mumbled. "You're too picky."

"I'm not being picky. Go take a look in a mirror," he said, taking a bite of his pancake.

She did as he said, and she took her good time doing it. The man relaxed into his seat, sticking another piece of his pancake with his fork.

Some minutes later, Nodame reappeared. There, in the doorway, she stood, clad in a dress he supposed she thought she looked good in. It barely even fit her, the shoulder was slipping down her arm. The gaudy material burned his eyes. Who would _buy _this?

"How about this?" she cooed.

Chiaki shivered, nearly choking on his food. "NO!"

* * *

Approximately a half hour after Sinichi recovered from his traumatized state, the two of them were walking down the streets of Paris, Nodame gawking here and there at something she saw in a shop window. They had decided on coffee, though Nodame insisted that they attempt to visit every single little shop they come across.

"We can do that later. I have to meet someone, remember?" Shinichi reminded her.

"Gyabo..."

They were silent as they approached a square, where the café was. Nodame was lost in her own little world.

Shinichi looked at his roommate, puzzled by her unfamiliar calmness. Her cheeks burned a bright pink. "Alone with Chiaki-senpai in Paris. It must be...a date," she said dreamily.

Shinichi slapped a hand to his forehead. "This isn't a date. This is _far_ from a--"

He stopped mid-sentence, looking across the square at something Nodame couldn't quite make out.

"Chiaki-senpai?" She waved a hand in front of his dazed face. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing!" he said, clearly annoyed.

But Nodame couldn't help but look again, and it was then, standing on her tippy-toes that Nodame saw what he was gazing at so intently.

She took in the girl's seemingly flawless appearance. She had a heart shaped face with a small nose and a pretty little mouth. A pair of intelligent sapphire eyes were framed by her glasses, and her long honey blond hair curled gently. This was no competition for Nodame. She could definitely beat this.

"Game Over!" Nodame wailed.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Ah...nothing."

Shinichi raised an eyebrow. "Whatever, come on."

He began to walk toward the girl, and as he drew closer, it dawned on Nodame that this was who he was meeting with. A girl. A _cute_ girl. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure she wanted to be here. Her eyes pricked with threatening tears. If Shinichi was going to go on a date, she didn't want to witness it.

Without any explanation, she backed away, then broke into a run, disappearing before Shincihi even looked back.

* * *

She ran for a minute or so, until she couldn't see the café anymore. In fact, she had no idea where she was, now that she thought about it. She knew where the café was, not that she wanted to go back there. But the apartment...

Seeing the girl's confusion, a mysterious French man approached her.

"Bonjour! I am zelling marsouins! Do you vant to zee?"

"Wha...? N-no thank you."

Nodame backed away from the man until she bumped into something solid.

"I'm sor--" she began, turning to find a very angry Chiaki Shinichi staring at her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ah, erm. Excuse me!" She tried to escape, but it was futile.

His hand wound itself in the back of her collar, making it impossible for her to flee.

"What's _wrong_ with you? Why do you keep running away like that?"

Nodame looked like a deer caught in headlights. "I, er..."

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You...?"

"Gyabo..."

"What's the big deal, huh? You wanted to go out, so we went out. Why can't you act normal for a change?" His eyes were smoldering.

When she didn't answer, he grabbed her arm, and pulled her in the direction of the café. She was too scared to argue. Before she knew it, Nodame was squirming uncomfortably in a seat, Sinichi eyeing her with an irritated expression. The girl she saw earlier was sitting next to him, an air of perfection surrounding her. To Nodame, this perfection seemed almost alien.

"E-excuse me for interrupting," Nodame mumbled, sneaking a glance at the girl.

"Oh, no. You weren't interrupting anything," the girl said, smiling rather kindly at her. "Why don't you sit with us? You're roommates with Chiaki-san, aren't you?"

Nodame blinked. "But...don't you want to be alone on your date?"

Shinichi choked on his coffee. The girl scoffed.

"She's my_ professor!_ And she's _married!_" His cheeks were red in embarrassment, the 'girl' still laughing behind him.

"Wha...?" Nodame looked at the woman again, who smiled once more.

"Professor Badeau. Pleased to meet you."

"Oh. So you're not dating?"

"No, we're not dating. I was only trying to persuade him into applying some scholarships, even though he _insists_ he doesn't need them."

Nodame blinked. A moment of unnerving silence.

"Well, that's good, because we're going to get married soon," Nodame said brightly.

"Oh?" Badeau looked at Sinichi, grinning.

"You've been making a lot of misunderstandings lately," he muttered.

Professor Badeau chuckled, recapturing the attention of the two students.

"I'm s-sorry," she gasped through her laughter, "but you guys are just so f-funny together."

They stared at the woman. "Funny?" they asked together.

"Well, I'll be off then." the professor sighed, her face red from laughing. "If you reconsider, let me know," she said to Shinichi.

And with that, she disappeared out of the cafe.

Chiaki pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Let's go home."

Nodame nodded, standing up to follow him.

* * *

They walked home, an awkward silence ringing in their ears. Nodame kept stealing nervous glances at her senpai. He saw it out of the corner of his eye, but he didn't say anything. Not a word. He was partly angry with her, partly embarrassed by her, and, in all honesty, partly pleased by her jealousy. But he wasn't about to admit to _that._

Relief fluttered through Nodame's chest when they reached the apartment. She wanted nothing more than to curl up in her warm bed, and forget about her 'date-gone-wrong' with Sinichi. She closed her eyes, waiting to hear the much-welcomed opening of the door. But she didn't hear it.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her roommate was digging in his pockets, his expression one of frustration.

Finally, Chiaki sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Shoot. You have your key, right?"

Nodame nodded, and took his place in front of the door. Sinichi watched as she began to search through her bag. Her search, though, ceased as a pair of hands landed on the door, one on each side of her head. Nodame blushed, and stared at the door, feeling the body warmth of her roommate.

"Nodame."

She gulped. "Hm?"

"Turn around."

Hesitantly, she obeyed and turned around slowly, eyes wide. Shinichi's face was inches from hers. In their closeness, Nodame could see that he was blushing, so minutely that it was almost difficult to see.

"Chiaki-se--"

She didn't get to finish the formality, because before she even realized, he was kissing her. Her hands wound themselves helplessly in the material of his shirt.

"Chiaki-senpai," she whispered when he pulled away.

"Why would you think I'd be dating somebody? I didn't think you were _that_ dense."

Nodame opened her mouth to reply, but he continued before she could.

"I wouldn't drag just any girl with me all the way to France," he grumbled into her hair.

She blushed, taking in the words he just said.

"I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of your professor," she said. "I guess jealousy makes you act a little stupid sometimes."

Chiaki laughed. "No, it's okay. I should've known you'd do something like this."

She looked up at him bashfully through her eyelashes.

"Is there something you want to say?" he asked, playing with her hair that he had made her wash earlier that morning.

"Nodame forgot her key inside."

End

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**If you happen to speak French, don't attack me. I Googled it. xD And I apologize for the French guy. Who was he, anyway? Why did I put him in there?  
**


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